Here’s a Goal for 2016: Let’s Fix the Modeling Industry

Modeling careers are known for their brevity: Looks fade, bodies change, and fashion is fickle. Most models who enter the industry and experience some degree of success can expect their career highs to last anywhere from a few seasons to—at best—a few years. The girls and guys who stretch their success into decade-spanning careers and serious paydays are few and far between: For every Naomi Campbell or Linda Evangelista, there are hundreds more who leave modeling for careers that don’t hinge on their ability to look good in a sample size or to be prepared to fly off to far-flung locations at the drop of a dime. The revolving-door cycle where newcomers test the waters, burn out, and are subsequently replaced by even newer faces has become the norm—and social media as a never-ending casting source has made models themselves seem even more replaceable—but what does this lack of longevity mean for the fashion industry as a whole? Models used to be more than just mannequins, remember: They would develop relationships with the designers and serve as a sounding board and de facto muse. Now, it seems, an average designer barely has time to introduce him or herself, let alone get personally invested in a fresh new face.

The unique pressures of modeling are often downplayed—most people can imagine that having to adhere to a strict set of physical requirements is stressful. But so, too, are long hours spent in fittings or on set at photo shoots or in less-than-ideal conditions (swim shoots in winter, anyone?). Add in the rigors of fashion month—where it isn’t unusual for models to work 16 to 20 hours per day—and the fact that pay for most editorial work is middling to nonexistent, and you have an environment in which it is extremely difficult to prosper. As such, many models opt out, choosing instead to step away from the spotlight to focus their energies on their personal lives, outside interests, or careers within other segments of the fashion business. While the constant stream of former models makes for interesting where-are-they-now stories, something feels awry about the high level of turnover. Even supermodels—Cara Delevingne and Gemma Ward among them—have stepped away from modeling for a time, speaking critically about the industry’s expectations and their own feelings of fatigue.

As it stands, the current cycle is in need of revision. Any industry where high percentages of employees are treated as disposable could use a moment to re-evaluate itself. With the federal child entertainer labor bill introduced earlier this year, the time is right for other changes. From getting new models educated about their rights and their finances to developing careers with the goal of longevity rather than hype, the bill is among one of the countless ways that the modeling industry could make things just a little easier on the models themselves. Fashion as a whole is suffering from a bout of instability, with high-profile departures from major fashion houses and the concept of job security seeming less and less viable. Here’s a goal for 2016: If we give models the tools and education to further themselves in the fashion industry—and as people—everybody wins.